The Enigma of Bucky Barnes: Part Two

After the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier how is Bucky reconciling himself with his past, lost principles and ideals, and the things he has done under the control of Hydra? Among other things, Captain America: Civil War emphasizes and explores Bucky’s past and how he is now trying to reconcile himself with it. (Seriously stop reading right now unless you want spoilers). When asked about Bucky’s transformation, Sebastian Stan responded

I mean, what have we gotten as a result of Bucky and the Winter Soldier? You know, here’s the guy when you merge the two. This is what came out. To me, he’s never really going to be Bucky Barnes again. There’s going be recognizable things about him, but his path through the [experiences of] Winter Soldier is always going [to] be there, haunting him. He recognizes his past, but at the same time he’s sort of a new character, too.

He also explains of Bucky’s reconciliation with his memories and past:

It doesn’t just suddenly all come back to him, just because he’s learned certain things about himself. It’s not like he immediately has all these emotions and feelings and point of views about people and families that he’s dealt with — or Steve. The knowledge is there, but the emotions aren’t explored yet, which also makes it very interesting to play.

This is a defining factor not only in the action throughout Civil War, but also with Bucky’s character development and relationship with Steve.

Bucky’s Past: Hydra’s Reign of Terror

The Russo brothers really have no intention of letting us forget for one moment about the hideous things Hydra has done to Bucky for the last 70 or so years. We find out through flashbacks that Bucky is stored in a cyrochamber, which is something that is hinted out during Winter Soldier, and is only woken up when needed.

We also find out that every time Bucky is woken up he immediately undergoes a memory wipe, and then has the following trigger words said to him: “Longing, Rusted, Seventeen, Daybreak, Furnace, Nine, Benign, Homecoming, One, Freight Car.” These words – which have somehow been planted deeply within Bucky’s brain – operate like a switch to his brain. Once they are said he merely responds, “Ready to comply,” and does whatever the person who said them commands. This further pushes the idea of Bucky as just a weapon and not an actual human. He doesn’t age, and he doesn’t experience life. He is simply awoken to perform tasks and then put away for further use.

Present Day: Finding Bucky

When we see Bucky for the first time in the present day his physical appearance has totally changed. He’s much more disheveled looking than before, and seems to be trying to acclimate into a normal civilian life away from the people who would either see him as a weapon, or use him as one. He seems genuinely happy before everything is shot to hell. As is the MO with MCU, something catastrophic happens. A man named Nemo frames Bucky for a bombing during a U.N. meeting which starts a worldwide hunt for Bucky.

Enter Steve to save the day. Even with warning from the likes of Tony Stark, and pretty much everyone else, Steve runs after his friend to save him. He gets to Bucky just before security forces storm his apartment building. He urges Bucky that “This doesn’t have to end in a fight.” Bucky wearily replies, “It always ends in a fight.” This simple response really highlights a crucial part of who Bucky is now and what he has been through. As mentioned previously, Hydra stored Bucky in a cyrochamber when they were not using him for missions. The only thing Bucky has of the last 70 or so years are scattered memories of abuse, violence, and death. Bucky grabs only one thing of importance to him before he and Cap try to fight their way out of the building – a backpack. When asked about the significance of the backpack to Bucky, Sebastian Stan responded

In his backpack there are a dozen notebooks that compose the scattered memories dating back to as far as he can remember which somewhat piece together a scattered life. In a similar way to Alzheimer’s, he’s written things down, for fear of losing his memory again. He was prepared, were something to happen, to walk away with nothing but that backpack, which is why it’s the only thing he takes and knowing full well that not everything those pages contain is pretty.

This may be one of the most heartbreaking revelations about Bucky. Even though he was unable to control his actions; he is afraid to forget any of it. It is my belief that he forces himself to remember as part of his personal penance for the things he has done. It also shows that he lives in constant fear of losing himself again and falling victim to Hydra’s plans.

Bucky and Steve are almost able to get away from security forces after a pretty high energy fight scene and chase. In these scenes we are still able to see the skills that Bucky had and developed further during his time as the Winter Soldier. Unlike CA: The Winter Soldier, Bucky is very tempered with a lot of his movements and fighting. Even though he tells Cap he isn’t going to kill anyone (and yay, he doesn’t) we still see the weapon side of Bucky. His body and mind are used to reacting a certain way while under attack and he is consciously having to hold himself back. Yes, he crushes a cinderblock over some guy’s head, but at least he didn’t throw him into an airplane (baby steps).

Steve’s reactions around Bucky and his body language speak volumes. Once Bucky and Steve are surrounded – Steve puts his arm out towards Bucky. The internet has been abuzz about this scene since people first saw it. I tend to agree with the masses that it is a two sided reaction. Steve still knows that Bucky is the kid he grew up with – what he doesn’t know is how much of the Winter Soldier is left in Bucky. Steve knows how the Winter Soldier acts when cornered or threatened and he also knows the temperament of his friend. He also just found the only living person he was close to before he was frozen during the War. Bucky means the world to Steve and I think in this scene we see it. We see Steve telling Bucky to stand down but we also see Steve saying to those around him “If you try to hurt my friend – you have to come through me first.” This is an important theme throughout the course of the movie, and is hinted to time and time again.

Bucky’s reaction when arrested is really telling. From previous experience, we know that he could take out most of the security forces surrounding him without blinking an eye. We also know just how incredibly strong he is (as is Steve). Bucky shows restraint, I believe because Steve wants it, but also because Bucky really doesn’t want to hurt any more people. He is already living with immeasurable guilt and to do anything now when he isn’t under the control of Hydra would be devastating to his recovery process. He would in essence be giving up what is left of Bucky Barnes if he chose to kill them. While his face outwardly shows defiance towards the Black Panther and Iron Patriot, his body language shows that he’s done. He’s done fighting and he’s done running. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would be found and would have to answer for the things he has been made to do.

Capture and Zemo’s Plan

When Bucky is captured and taken into custody we get a glimpse of the broken Bucky we saw in Winter Soldier. He is caged, alone, and looks more like a wounded animal than he does a soldier. One particularly interesting thing about many scenes with Bucky and his handlers (whether they be CIA operatives or Hydra) is the lack of human interaction they have. He is typically surrounded by metal, and machines – kept at a safe distance lest he lash out. His captivity scenes are all the more brutal when considering that he went through 70 years of this.

Zemo infiltrates the compound that Bucky is being held at under the guise of a UN official that has been sent to question Bucky. Once he is alone with Bucky he sets his elaborate plan in motion which ends up with Bucky, and him totally alone. He pulls the Winter Soldier journal from his bag and begins saying Bucky’s trigger words. Bucky begins to panic and flies into a rage – trying desperately to break through the mechanical capsule that is holding him before Nemo is able to finish. Unfortunately, Bucky is unable to get out in time, and Zemo demands that he provides a mission report to him from 1991.

When Steve and Sam are finally able to infiltrate the area that Bucky is being held they find all of the workers dead. They confront Zemo, but are interrupted by Bucky who is now in full Winter Soldier mode. Zemo is able to escape as Bucky attacks both men. The scenes that follow are basically Bucky fighting pretty much every one in the building, and winning.

There is a particularly interesting exchange during the brief fight between Natasha and Bucky before they are interrupted by the Black Panther. As Bucky is choking Natasha she manages to say, “You could at least recognize me.” While the film doesn’t elaborate on this statement many fans are hoping that future films will follow the comics’ story line where Bucky and Nat end up knowing each other previously from Nat’s time with the Soviets. This would actually make sense. How this meshes with the previous story that Nat gave Steve in CA: The Winter Soldier is yet to really be seen. It could have been that she was lying to Steve or maybe didn’t know Bucky as Bucky or Winter Soldier previously. It’s completely possible that he may have gone by another alias. This is just total speculation on my part, Nat could also just be referring to their previous encounter during CA: The Winter Soldier.

After kicking some serious ass, Bucky makes his way to the helicopter pad at the top of the building to make his escape. This is one of the very few scenes in the movie that actually confused me a little to begin with. As Bucky is trying to escape with the helicopter, Steve grabs ahold of it and begins dragging it down (I swear he defied the laws of physics here, but that’s beside the point). As the helicopter moves, Steve is able to grab on to railing on the side of the building to prevent it from leaving. During this Bucky looks out at Steve and almost smiles. He then crashes the helicopter. It’s obvious that Bucky is still in Winter Soldier mode here because he does smash through the window with his metal arm to grab ahold of Steve, and I definitely think to an extent he may have even tried to kill his friend; however, the emotion is what threw me off. We never see the Winter Soldier display really any type of emotion when fighting. For a second it seems like Bucky is breaking through the mind control even if only slightly and briefly. Steve is the only person that can repeatedly bring Bucky out of his Winter Soldier mode.

A Pause Before Battle

Steve is able to drag Bucky out of the river the helicopter crashes into and hide him from everyone that is looking for him. When Bucky awakes Steve asks which Bucky he is speaking to which Bucky replies, “Your mom’s name was Sarah… You used to wear newspaper in your shoes.”  The revelation of these facts provide a very touching sentiment for Bucky and Steve’s friendship. In CA: The Winter Soldier there is a flashback that is Bucky showing up at Steve’s house after his mom’s funeral, and asking him to come live with him and his family. Bucky’s reply reminds us again how close these two were before the war. Bucky is distraught when he discovers that he has injured and killed innocent people again while under the control of someone else. He tells Steve that he is not the only Winter Soldier and that he believes Zemo is trying to find the others which would be catastrophic. Steve, Bucky, and Sam both decide that they have to find Zemo and stop him. They know they won’t be getting any help from Tony, Natasha, or Vision so they recruit Clint, Wanda, and Scott Lang (Ant Man) to help them find Nemo before it is too late.

Bucky, Steve, and Sam: Third Wheel?

Although the overall mood of Bucky’s storyline is pretty somber throughout CA: Civil War there are a few funny moments that remind us of the spunky Bucky we met in 1940s Brooklyn. Most of Bucky’s wittier banter is between him and Sam (Falcon). It’s pretty obvious that the relationship between the two is uncomfortable. Sam has been Steve’s number one for awhile now and knows how much Bucky means to him. Due to this, Sam comes off kind of as the guy who feels like his best friend turf is being stepped on. That isn’t to say the scenes aren’t hilarious, because they are. They remind us of the Bucky we loved, and the Bucky that Steve lost on a mission in the 1940s. They assure us that under the damage and the constant strain of trying to put the pieces of his life back together and deal with his guilt that Bucky is still there.

In one such scene Bucky asks Sam if he can move his seat up a little. When Sam replies, “No.” Bucky decides to relent and scoot across the back seat to have more room. We know that Sam is the king of sass, but we also need to remember that the last time he was in a car with Bucky was when Bucky tried to kill him. Sam doesn’t know Bucky rather he knows the Winter Soldier and what Steve has told him about Bucky. He wisely chooses to distance himself until he can discern Bucky’s character for himself.

When Steve kisses Sharon (which was a little creepy, but whatever) he looks back to his car to see both Bucky and Sam looking on approvingly with giant grins on their faces which embarrasses him. The scene is funny, but also further reestablishes the bond that was lost between Bucky and Steve. Bucky needs human interaction and normality in his life to be able to find himself again.

The humanity of Bucky is found within these scenes no matter how small they are. They remind us that he is no longer the wordless ghost from CA: The Winter Soldier, but that kid from Brooklyn that watched out for Steve when he kept getting his ass kicked over and over. It’s also important to note that no matter how much shade Sam throws Bucky he also knows how much he means to Steve. Sam trusts Steve’s judgment almost to a fault, and because of this he really has already accepted Bucky in some way. Bucky just needs to be seen as a person – Sam doesn’t have to be overly nice to him. In some ways, Sam evens out the way Steve treats Bucky. There’s really an organic normalcy to the trio’s friendships and interactions that will be interesting to see develop in later installments. These scenes soften the blows of the scenes that are yet to come.

 

And with this I leave you as this is already longer than my first post. Make sure to check back for the third installment of The Enigma of Bucky Barnes where I will discuss the second half of Civil War and the influence that Steve’s decision to stand by Bucky has on the division of the Avengers.